CARNIVAL PLEASURES

Jacob

I’ve returned to London to be with my parents on the anniversary of my sister’s death when my friends convince me to cut loose and have some fun at the Notting Hill Carnival in London. I should be with my family, but I can’t turn down the chance to see my lifelong best friend, Maddie—the woman I’ve been in love with for as long as I can remember. I’ve accepted my place in “the friend zone” where she’s concerned, but when an opportunity to show her my true feelings arises, I grab it with both hands, both lips, and my whole heart.

Maddie

As a nurse, I work long hours. So, when my roommate persuades me to swap my scrubs for a glamorous gown and beautiful mask at the Notting Hill Carnival, I take the opportunity to relax and have fun. Sharing a hot kiss with another masked reveller is unexpected and exciting, but there’s something about the sinfully sexy stranger that feels…oddly familiar.

I’m pulled from his arms by the crowd just as I realize that my sexy stranger is none other than Jacob, my best friend I haven’t seen in almost three years. Circumstances have kept us apart, but Jacob and I share a special bond. I held him while he grieved the loss of his sister. I've shared some of my innermost fears and secrets with him. And now that I’ve kissed him, I want to tell him another secret—my feelings for him are far from platonic. But can I risk losing the best friend I’ve ever had for a chance at forever?